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Goldilocks and Gremlins – What to do about them

Goldilocks conditions

People are often too hung up on waiting for that big “Aha!” moment before taking action. For example, delaying their workout till their Goldilocks conditions are met – where everything is just right. The sun is not too hot, a cool breeze is blowing and the squat racks are empty. However, these Goldilocks moments are far and few between

“We are all dealt a hand and we have to decide how to play it.”
– Voltaire

Let’s be honest, do you really need the weather to be a certain temperature before you can go on that run? Just go run, and if you’re still not feeling it after 10 mins, call it quits and take a walk instead. Any form of exercise is better than no exercise. You can try this with any activity. Get moving and see what happens.

Gremlins

And then there are those gremlins in your head that go “Meh, let’s binge watch Mad Men and do this later”, with the sole intention of sabotaging your best laid plans.

Nerf these gremlins

Nerf these gremlins by making good decisions easier to make and bad decisions harder. Curate your environment for success: If you have problems with sticking to your diet due to the snacks in your house, don’t buy any! Working out after work? Pack your workout clothes the night before so you have no excuse to miss it.

Importance of grit

You got to have the grit to push through and take charge. Slay these psychic vampires that are making you postpone your life . Do not let those goals of yours wilt away, or else those feelings of discontentment and unfulfillment will gnaw at the back of your head as you hurtle towards the end of your life.

Recommended listening:

Freakonomics – How to Get More Grit in Your Life:The psychologist Angela Duckworth argues that a person’s level of stick-to-itiveness is directly related to their level of success. No big surprise there. But grit, she says, isn’t something you’re born with — it can be learned. Here’s how.

The Power And Problem Of GritMost of us can quickly grasp the importance of perseverance for success. But that’s only half of the equation, according to Angela. The other half is an abiding interest and passion for a singular pursuit. Gritty people wake up thinking about the same questions they go to bed thinking about. Rather than being “discovered” through angst-ridden introspection, psychologists believe interests are developed and deepened over time through continuing engagement with a pursuit.